How Do I Check the Refund Status on an Arkansas Tax Refund?

If you overpaid your taxes or qualify for tax credits during the tax year, you are probably expecting to get a tax refund. The best way to get your tax refund is to file your state and federal tax returns as early as possible.

Arkansas tax filers are likely to find most of the information necessary for their state income tax return on the Arkansas.gov website. It is also helpful to understand the relationship between your federal and state individual income tax returns.

You can either file your state taxes electronically (e-file) or use paper tax returns. The processing time varies for each method and directly influences when you will get your refund money. Generally, you will file a state tax return using the same method as the federal tax return. Factors like tax preparation, tax credits and filing status will impact both your federal IRS tax refund status and your Arkansas state tax refund.

Tax forms filed on paper with the election of a refund by check will yield the slowest refund. A paper return will take up to ‌10 weeks‌ to process. Paper checks must physically be mailed to your address. Expect to wait up to eight weeks after your return is accepted. E-filers who select direct deposit tend to get their refunds within ‌21 days‌ after the tax return is received. If you file electronically and prefer a paper check, it can take ‌four weeks‌. Direct deposits may process on the same day a return is filed and be deposited into your bank account as quickly as within a few business days.

You can check the status of your refund using the Arkansas Where’s my Refund tool available on the Arkansas Taxpayer Access Point website. The Where’s My Refund online tax tool only requires two important pieces of information from your tax filing. The first is your nine-digit Social Security number. The second is the amount of your anticipated refund amount.

If you need to reach out to the Arkansas state government staff concerning your tax refund, the Arkansas state tax refund local phone number to call is ‌(501) 682-1100‌. You can also use the Arkansas Individual Income Tax Taxpayer Assistance Office’s toll-free number: ‌(800) 882-9275‌.

Your refund check will be delayed if you filed your tax return or an amended return using an out-of-date mailing address. You will need to submit the Individual Income Tax Name and Address Change Form to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) to have the refund sent to your current address. There are other reasons that can explain a missing tax refund.

The IRS cites some common mistakes that can delay your tax return: the wrong filing status (this should match between state and federal returns), an incorrect bank account number or a misspelling of your legal name can all delay a refund. Filers who have been victims of identity theft can also experience delays due to additional security precautions. If your return was accepted by the filing center, you might have to initiate a trace to track down your refund.

Certain debts can trigger the interception of your Arkansas income tax refund. For example, if you are subjected to the Treasury Offset Program (TOP), your refund can be intercepted to pay for delinquent debts. State and federal income tax refunds can be intercepted through TOP. Intercepted refunds may go toward child support or tax payments owed to Arkansas state agencies. If you have received unemployment overpayments, your tax refund will be intercepted. If you owe more than the amount of your refund, you may end up with no tax refund.